I wake early. The sun manages to pierce the small gap in the shutters on my bedroom window and land on my still somnambulant face. I stretch and slide silently out of bed and tiptoe to open the outside door. Birdsong fills the air, the dawn chorus is in full flight. Remembering my phone I step outdoors and look over the heady lavender bushes and the swimming pool to the valley below and as far as the Gran Sasso in the depths of the Apeninnes, this is summer living in our gay guest house in Italy.

Almost every morning I follow this ritual and am never disappointed by what I see and occasionally manage to photograph. Sometimes still hiding behind the cypress tree almost too shy to come out of hiding, the sun is golden yellow. Sometimes it is already high in the azure sky burning off the mist that swirls in the valley below, and sometimes it is just peeking over the top of the mountain peaks.

Today as I head down to the pool there is a blackbird singing his heart out sitting in the topmost branch of a pine tree. The water on the infinity edge is glistening. Cyril the robot has done his overnight cleaning job and is now napping. Still naked, I dive in.

Swimming naked is a wonderful sensation that I honestly believe everyone should try at least once in their lives. Of course you are welcome to wear swimming shorts, here the choice is yours.

I exit the pool and brush through swathes of now heady deeply purple lavender busily being caressed by honey bees, butterflies and hover moths, and jump under the shower.

It is an amazing year and Umbria is looking splendid. Now dressed I head down to the terrace where Mauro has prepared a delicious breakfast for our guests.

Home baking, fresh sourdough and wholemeal breads, jams made with fruit gathered from our large gardens, and eggs boiled in the machine that when the eggs are ready sounds like an alarm at a nuclear plant, it is all part of the fun and joy of the place.

I grab a coffee and chat with the guys. Maybe they were out in Gubbio last night, I hear about their evening. Maybe they are wanting advice on a town, museum or vineyard to visit, or maybe it is just banter for banters sake, it is all good and relaxingly light hearted. Kindly they all humour me! Another example of summer living in our gay guest house in Italy. I head through the dining room and notice a bunch of generous cream roses brought in by Daniela my smiling housekeeper fresh cut from her garden. It is Daniela that tidies up and keeps the suites spotless for the guys, a sometimes arduous task that she does with a huge smile.

I’m now off to check on the daily tasks, yes, I am a bit of a control-freak, highly detail oriented. I like things to be right for my guests. Once again so many guys are returning for their holidays. It is such a reward for me and my team to welcome back guests many of whom I now count as real friends. Be it from Italy, or Europe or points farther abroad, the Bellaugello network is growing every day.

This week some of the guys went up in the hot air balloon,

…whilst others chose to do something really energetic and hike the long walk from their suite to the infinity pool and relax poolside under the Umbrian sun.

Whilst others just lazed in the garden with a good book.

There are a multitude of quiet corners to hang out in at Bellaugello. You can be as lazy or energetic as you wish. Some guys take a copy of my trusted map and walk some of the many tracks that crisscross the valley. Others take one of our picnics and head for some more serious hiking into the Monte Cucco regional park. The views from the top are to the Adriatic and Lago Trasimeno. Most stay poolside…summer living in our gay guest house in Italy.

As you can guess I am in a reflective mood. Such beauty surrounds me on a daily basis, and so many guys come here to enjoy and photograph it.

My selection of photographs in this post have been taken over this past month. Most are tame but this next one is decidedly hot…

460˚c to be precise, in the wood burning oven as one of our delicious pizzas is cooking. We get through a whole lot of wood here…

Now the day draws to a close and before heading back to bed I make a final inspection. I have the notion to paint the wall at the infinity swimming pool Klein Blue. This photo of the pool at night puts me even more in the mind. This is summer living in our gay guest house in Italy.

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WELCOME TO BELLAUGELLO, A UNIQUE GAY COUNTRY HOUSE LOCATED IN UMBRIA, RIGHT IN THE CENTRE OF ITALY! COME TO ITALY AND STAY AT OUR BOUTIQUE HOTEL, SITUATED BETWEEN GUBBIO, PERUGIA AND ASSISI. ENJOY THE NATURE AND THE BEAUTY OF THE UMBRIAN COUNTRYSIDE. ENJOY THE PEACE AND THE EXCLUSIVENESS OF OUR LOCATION. TRY OUR MAGNIFICENT CUISINE, WE GROW MANY OF OUR INGREDIENTS. SWIM IN OUR INFINITY POOL, HAVE A SAUNA OR BOOK A MASSAGE WITH OUR FULLY-QUALIFIED MASSEUR. BELLAUGELLO IS WAITING FOR YOU!